Riot previews Patch 26.16: bot-lane overhaul, marksman MR

Riot Games published a developer preview of Patch 26.16 outlining a set of system changes aimed at the bot lane, item adjustments and a limited number of champion tweaks.

The preview says the update raises base magic resistance for all marksmen. Riot linked the change to a recent period where mages dominated both professional play and solo queue, displacing traditional AD carries in the bot lane. The adjustment is being applied to the entire marksman class so designers can keep burst damage and survivability balanced and simplify future tuning.

Patch 26.16 emphasizes system-level changes rather than broad champion reworks. Support roaming will be reduced through revisions to the support quest system and targeted nerfs to Camille to limit her roaming impact. The patch will also change role power distribution by buffing Berserker’s Greaves and its T3 upgrade to encourage AD picks in mid lane, and by increasing pet damage for AP junglers to strengthen that pairing.

Several items will be rebalanced. Riot identified Sundered Sky as an overly universal choice and plans reductions. To make early offensive and defensive item slots more competitive for AD fighters, Eclipse, Tiamat and Sterak’s Gage will receive buffs. Sunfire Aegis will get initial adjustments and remain under monitoring after the patch, and Black Cleaver is scheduled for tuning.

A small set of champions will receive direct changes. Azir is due for a moderate buff after low pro appearances and win rates. Gwen will receive healing improvements targeting top-lane play. Kennen will get scaling adjustments to emphasize his ultimates while reducing lane dominance. Bel’Veth will see a late-game-focused nerf paired with a slight power increase at level six. Poppy and Camille will be nerfed, and Riot plans additional adjustments to Nasus.

Riot reviewed data from Patch 26.15’s ranked matchmaking changes and reported a global improvement in match quality relative to queue times. The preview noted longer queue times in smaller regions, particularly the Middle East and North Africa and Oceania, where some high-skill players struggled to find matches. Riot plans a partial revert of the matchmaking changes for those regions in Patch 26.16.

Riot framed the marksman magic resistance increase as a targeted, systemic intervention to restore marksmen to the bot lane and to make future balance changes more consistent. The team said it will continue monitoring key items, including Sunfire Aegis, and competitive data after the update to guide any further adjustments.